More than 52 million Thais will go to the polls on Sunday 14 May to vote in an election that pits Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, against military-linked rivals. Unofficial results are expected the same night. However, the make up of the next government may not be clear until much later. Here are the main candidates:
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai
Paetongtarn was a university student when her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s most popular and polarising prime minister, was ousted in a coup. Eight years later, her aunt was ousted. Paetongtarn, 36, is the latest member of the family to run for office.
She has performed well in polling, boosted by nostalgia for her father, who retains a loyal support base in the north and north-east. However, Thaksin is loathed by the conservative military-royalist establishment, which has been locked in a power struggle with him for the past two decades.
Paetongtarn studied in Bangkok and the UK, and worked in her family’s business empire before entering politics relatively recently. She gave birth just weeks before the election, and has campaigned during the final weeks by video-calling into rallies when she is unable to travel.
Her party, Pheu Thai, is expected to win the most seats, but this doesn’t necessarily mean she will be able to take office. To do so, she will need to win the support from some of Thailand’s 250 military-appointed senators, who have a say in deciding the future prime minister, or form an alliance with other parties to outweigh their influence.
Paetongtarn is one of three prime ministerial candidates put forward by Pheu Thai. They have also put forward property mogul Srettha Thavisin and former attorney general Chaikasem Nitisiri.
Pita Limjaroenrat, Move Forward
Pita Limjaroenrat, 43, is leader of the progressive opposition party Move Forward, which is hugely popular among young people who want democratic reforms. Move Forward is the only party to commit to pushing for reform of Thailand’s strict lese majesty law, under which criticising the monarchy is punishable with up to 15 years in jail.
Prior to politics, Pita, who studied at Harvard, was a businessman, and was executive director of Grab Thailand, a major ride hailing and food delivery app. He has promised to demilitarise politics, end mandatory military conscription and tackle the monopolies that dominate the economy.
He has performed strongly in polling, and recently ranked ahead of Paetongtarn as the favourite to be prime minister.
Prayuth Chan-ocha, United Thai Nation
The incumbent prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former army chief who first took power in a coup in 2014, is allowed to serve only until 2025, according to the constitution. But, despite this, he is campaigning for re-election under a new political party, United Thai Nation.
His party has run a strongly nationalist campaign, with the party’s second prime ministerial candidate, Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, announcing at one rally that “Thailand is the land for patriots and the land is holy, with the monarchy serving as the pillar of the country”. If people didn’t like it, he said, “please go to another place”. He promised to “get tough” with “nation haters”.
Prayuth’s supporters say he has brought stability to the country, and praise his management of the pandemic. Prayuth has sought to show his fun side on the campaign trail, even donning a colourful shirt to take part in Songkran celebrations last month. However, opinion polls suggest he is lacking in support. He is strongly opposed by young voters who support democracy. They say the former army general is out of touch and holding Thailand back and that, after almost nine years, they’ve had enough.
Prawit Wongsuwan, Palang Pracharath
Prawit Wongsuwan was, until recently, a close ally of Prayuth, and part of the junta that took power in 2014. But he has sought to distance himself from those times. Last year, he raised eyebrows by denying in parliament that he had been an architect of the coup and instead pointing to Prayuth, saying: “I give you the coup maker. Here he is.”
On the campaign trail, he has tried to rebrand himself, appearing in eye-catching jackets and presenting himself as someone who can heal divides.
He was infamously embroiled in a scandal over two dozen luxury watches he had been accused of not claiming as assets. He was cleared of wrongdoing by authorities, who accepted his claim they had been borrowed.
Some have questioned if the 78-year-old is fit enough to run for office – he has responded that he is still a quick thinker.
Prawit is lagging behind in polling. However, he is still considered influential. After the 2014 coup, he was chairman of a committee that appointed senators – who will soon have a say in appointing the next prime minister. Prawit’s talk of bridging past divides has been read as a signal that he is open to a coalition with Pheu Thai.
Anutin Charnvirakul, Bhumjaithai
Anutin, the health minister, is known for having championed the decriminalisation of cannabis. He says the legalisation – which has led to neon weed signs across downtown Bangkok – is proof he can get things done. But the legalisation has proved controversial among conservatives and health figures, who say it was rushed through without proper rules in place. A bill to regulate the industry is yet to be passed.
Bhumjaithai has been a junior partner in the coalition, alongside the military-backed party Palang Pracharath (PPRP). Anutin, 56 and a staunch royalist, could be a kingmaker in a future alliance.
